Broken dreams
by D-Reezy42
Summary: two years since Max failed. I still worship her though. She was the only one with the guts. Maybe if the rest of us helped, it wouldn't have ended like it did. -- Nadine is living in an Itex world. Where her only hope lies within what no one has...a dream
1. i own nothing u recognize

-OKAY! Well, since I have reached an impassible point with my I hate school story (my comp got a virus, got in my files. I had to delete all my writing. I almost cried it was so horrible). Don't worry, i'll still continue it, it will just take me a while to remember what I've written. So in the mean time, I'm starting this one, and I refuse to delete it, now matter how many viruses get it! (i'm virus free now, don't worry) so, here ya go. OH and asha, Rosie and Fabio will be in this story, just in different ways. REVIEW?

CHAPTER ONE:

_To Whom It May Concern: _

_It's been two years since Maximum ride failed her mission. It was not her fault though. She was the only girl who had the guts to do what was right. Maybe if we had stepped up and helped her, it wouldn't have ended like it did. _

_Though Max and her Flock did not save the world, they did leave a great impression on Itex. Now Itex works creating new flocks. Pairing mutants in flocks of six, trying to recreate the original. But none of us will ever compare to the real Flock. No one can say the are. _

The world is gone now. Everyone that you and I have ever known is gone. Six billion people on Earth when the war happened. The virus they used had a ninety-percent kill rate, that's five point four billion people dead. Crashed and bled out. Dead. Less than one-percent immunity. That left twelve million healthy people, like important workers, and mutants. The other five hundred and eighty-eight million turned into your fertilizers, or erasers, and then they got hungry and they killed and fed on everybody. Everybody! Every single person that you or I have ever known is dead. Only Itex workers and mutants remain.

_That means that there are about 300,000 people left in the world. About 6 million flyboys and 400,000 mutants. But of course, you must already no this, or you would not be here today, reading thins letter._

_The Safe Zone is where you have to go. The only place that can guarantee your freedom, liberty, justice, happiness, peace, love, food, clothing, and security. If you expect to live, expect to find The Safe Zone._

_The cities name and location will not be revealed, for fear of whom it truly _does_ concern. You must travel to the Maximum. A friend will be there at dawn every day. A friend who will help. Keep this letter safe. Burn it, bury it, eat it. DO NOT lose it. _

_I've writing this letter on January first, 2008. If you are out there, come to the Maximum. I don't care how old this letter is. Someone will be waiting for you. You are not alone._

_- A Friend_

"Vague, Vague, Vague," Jassan sings behind me. I turn around to whack him in the head, but he dodges me swiftly, ducking his head under my blow. He was right. This letter is vague.

"I guess the group was right," Duke said, more to himself then to anyone else. The letter spoke the truth. There are millions of little six person flocks mulling around, trying to find the Safe Zone. Itex has gone whack with their trying to re-create the flock plan. In fact, on our way to the old Stark, which was basically a giant tree stump, coded over for safety, we met another flock. They told us they had buried the letter there. We didn't stick with them though. You can't trust anyone. Itex has their mutant spies everywhere, literally.

"I guess so," I said, my eyes scanning over the letter again. It was written two years ago. Two entire years ago. I can feel my hope being sucked away by Itex's vacuum cleaner of despair. They've probably found the Safe Zone by know.

"Go to sleep," I told the guys. I needed to think. I'm supposed to be a leader. Who the hell am I kidding, I couldn't lead a line. Next to me, Jassan made a face. He snapped his fingers above his head, home-girl style.

"You go to sleep," He said, looking offended. "I am just as old as you, I don't have to go to bed at eight anymore." Yeah, well, it's not eight, it's four.

"Go to bed, Jassan," Duke helped me out. Jassan looked at him incredentiously for a minute, before scuffing back to the tree stump, leaning against it with a pouting look on his face.

"Fine," He said, then a smile lit up his face. "But I'm doing it because I'm tired!" He said in a snotty voice, plugging his nose and holding it the air. "Not because you tell me to."

"Uh-huh," Duke said, nodding his head sleepily. He gave me one long look before plopping down next to Abigail. He rested his head on his hands and closed his eyes. I watched as his face settled for sleep, muscles around his forehead loosening. He's faking it.

Jassan isn't though. As soon as he sat down he was snoring. Loud, nostril-flaring snoring. It tucked the letter into my pocket. There were so many things I didn't understand. What was the Maximum. I know who she was, but I don't know what it is.

I look over at my own flock. Abigail, who's lying on her back, face peaceful and baby like in the pale, rising sun. Abigail has always been baby looking. I call her babyface, though she begins ranting on her plans to kill me when I call her that. Her blonde hair is held in a half-ponytail, sticking out of the side of her head.

Next to her, curled in a ball, Is Dulce. Dulce is the youngest. She is the cutest, the sweetest, and the baby. Her messy brown hair is curled around her face like a little halo. A few freckles are placed on her nose, making it look like she's been sprinkle with cinnamon.

Jassan was still snoring, with his mouth open so wide I had the sudden urge to go over and shut it. Curly black hair hangs in his closed eyes, millions of freckles dotting his pale face. His hands are tucked in the pocket of his sweatshirt, and his legs are laid out like a rack infront of him.

Lying on top of the stump, the only one small enough to fit, was Caleb. He wasn't the youngest, being in-between Abigail and Dulce, but he was the smallest. Sad that a girl three years younger than him is taller than him. He doesn't mind though. We're to busy trying to not die to be bother by the height of people. His messy, light brown hair is tousled, and when he flips on his side, I see a tiny little impression on his cheek made from the wood.

Duke, realizing that everyone else was asleep, popped his eyes open and focuses them on me. Duke is my buddy. My main village man, whatever you want to call it. He struggled to his feet, pulling the hood of his gray jacket over his sloppily cut dirty blonde hair. He looks worn out, but he comes and sits by me at the fire anyway.

"You know what the Maximum is?" He asked, poking a stick into the fire. Little tiny sparks fly from it. I shake my head. If I knew anything, I would have woken them up already, telling them that we have to go. It's safe to travel at night, when you're less likely to be spotted.

"No," I said, feeling my frustration creep into my voice. I bit my tongue, trying to take an example of Duke's silence. But it doesn't work. I feel like I'm about to explode. I can't do it anymore. I can't win anyway. Flyboys are everywhere. We can't even go into a city. We have to hunt squirrels and deer for food, we haven't changed clothing since last year practically. Jeans that used to be dragging on the floor are now up to my ankles. "Do I ever know where anything is? See I've figured this whole thing out. It's all a lie. There is no safe zone. It's just another way for Itex to catch the mutants. To kill us."

Duke looks stricken, and he turned to face me. I can see worry in his eyes. I can see pain and fear. I can also see determination.

"Do you really believe that?" He asked slowly, raising one eyebrow. I stay silent. "You can't. This is the only thing we've got left. We can't just throw it away." He points with his fire stick to the Flock. "Those kids want to live. I want to live. You want to live. We can live." He turns back to the fire. All this time he's kept his voice down to a calm, reasonable tone. He bites his lip now.

"I'm a horrible leader, aren't I," I offered. He chuckled a little and shook his head.

"You're a great leader. Don't even say that. If you convince yourself, then you'll end up believing it, and will be a bad leader." I hate it when he sounds so smart. Like a doctor or something. "We'd all be dead without you." Just hearing him say that makes me feel better. I know It might look like I'm fishing for compliments, but trust me, I feel more like a loser now than ever.

"You're amazing." He continued, give me a side smile. "You're brilliant. Your beautiful, you're cool. You're talented. You're-" I cut him off.

"I get it," I said, feeling a grin split my face. He grins back, and for a minute, I feel like I'm in one of those old soppy toothpaste commercials. Where the people fall in love just by the sheer glow of eachother's teeth.

"Go to bed, dibs on first watch." I open my mouth to say something, but I decide not to. I haven't been getting any sleep lately. This is how I title myself. Nadine Scott: Sleep Loser.

"Night," I said, and scooted in-between Abigail and Dulce. I toss my arms around both of them and close my eyes, feeling like a little speck of dust of Itex's world. Feeling like whatever I do, I'm never going to be good enough. Never going to save the world. Of course, I can't save a world that's already gone.

Okay, first chapter down! I hope it's okay. I love review, they make me smile a lot. And suggestions are welcome too. BYE BYE!! THANKS!!

D-Reezy42


	2. Chapter 2

-Hi! Guess what! New chapter! I know, I know, I am really breaking some new ground. Ha ha. Oh, and MAX AND HER FLOCK ARE NOT DEAD! But I'm not telling you where they are…hahaha. Anyways, before I forgot to add the disclaimer, so I'll keep it to the point. I own nothing you recognize, and everything you don't. Yay. Though I would love to own Max. Do I look like a have any ownage? Well, you can't see me….anyways, on to the story.

Chapter two

I woke up to sheer and utter chaos.

Abigail was on top of me, viciously trying to wake me up, shaking me so hard I thought my neck was liable to fly off and hit the tree. Groggily, my eyes still clouded over and glassy from sleep, I shoved her off me, and peeked around.

Mara and Omega. Mara and Omega and company. Mara and Omega with very large company. Mara and Omega, the people who are on the top of my Croak List. Mara and Omega, with flyboys.

I sprang to my feet, already feeling adrenaline coursing through my veins. I try and calm myself down, but this is bad. We look surrounded, and there is probably no way we'd possibly be able to just run. We'd have to fight. With the condition we're in, I'm guessing we'd lose. So I'll try plan B…but first I have to make one.

"What do you want?" I spit out, trying to sound tough. Trying to not wet myself. Trying to not completely loose it. Like I don't know what they want.

Next to me, Dulce slips her small hand into mine. I tighten around it, and just in that comes strength. Like, now that I have people to protect, I can actually be brave, instead of pretending.

"We don't _want_ anything," Mara hisses. Her claws are fully extended, looking lethal. Just one little slip on my neck, and I would so be dead. What makes this situation all the more suckish is that I know this. I know that I can't win. I know it, My flock knows it, They know it. They know we know it. Everyone knows it.

So basically I have three options. Die right here. Die at the Itex head, or Die trying. I'm gunna die trying, because I have no brain apparently.

I snap my fingers, and everyone is besides me in an instant. The snap is our thing. It also makes me feel cool, like some slick Mafia leader, all my little mafiettes come running to my sides. Jassan and Duke take their places at my sides, in front of the younger kids. Abigail stands facing the other way, into the faces of little beady red eyes. Caleb and Dulce are squashed in the middle, looking scared and unsure. Like how I feel, but I do a better job at not showing.

"Look," Mara begins conversationally. She takes a step forward, and Duke tenses, like a coiled spring, he's ready to jump. His tension is making me uneasy and nervous. I want to hold him back. "There is nowhere to go. There will never be any place to go."

Mara certainly knows how to push an escaped mutant's buttons. I press my lips together, feeling my gut start to bubble, like lava. My conscience is screaming at me, and my Common sense is screaming at me to. I suppose I'm working without those to things. Now I'm Nadine Scott: Girl who Can't Figure Out The Need To Know Basics Of Flight Or Fight. I mean, don't even mice have that instinct? And here I am, just winging it out.

"You can either come with us, or die right now. You can work for Itex! You can live, and be free too." Immediately, I feel like she's shoved a rake down my throat. It scrapes at my throat, and I can't speak. Luckily, I have Jassan to break the awkward silence.

"Isn't that kind of contradicting? I mean, if I'm following someone's orders, then I'm not free." He turns to me halfway, his icy blue eyes sneaky looking. "That's a total conflict of interest!" I purse my lips, and clench down on Dulce's hand. I can feel her trembling, her porcelain skin sweaty and red.

"Come with us," Now Omega has stepped forward, and is looking probably a lot like I do right now, completely deadpanned. Straight faced, and unresponsive. Duke is fiddling with his pocket. He was trying to cock his gun. Failing too. With a fed up grunt, he gives up, and looks at me sideways for orders. How can I give him any though, I can't even give orders to myself! Inside, I picture a little battle going on between my ignorance and my common sense. Ignorance is winning.

"What do you say?" Mara prompts. She's edging closer, bringing the hoard of mindless flyboys with her. I edge back a little bit, bumping into Caleb. I glance back to look at him, noting that he looks like he's just swallowed a big one packed in oil. I smile at him, trying to send reassurance that I don't have. He gives a halfhearted smile back, but it doesn't reach his panicked eyes.

"I say-" I look over my flock. Duke, ready to kill, jaw clenched so hard I'm worried his teeth will break. Jassan, a determined look on his face, which is so rare to see. Abigail, who is looking at me over her shoulder with light blonde hair cascading down over her shoulders, now free of the band. I angle downwards, facing my babies. No one will hurt these people. I love these people.

"I say kiss my ass," I finish. Mara's face darkens, and her clawed hands clench. But she's too late. My flock has already sprung into action, as soon as my words had been spoken. Duke, whipping the small hand gun from his sweatshirt pocket, shot down the nearest flyboy. If he dares even trying to shoot Mara or Omega, we'll have the entire Itex community looking to slaughter us.

The flyboys, also heavily armed, start shooting at will. Darts, tranqs, whatever you want to call them. Either way they are so not good.

But everything is moving in slow motion. I see the darts moving toward me, and I'm able to move out of the way. I swing my arm in an arc, landing it on a flyboy's metal head. My arms bounces of, my bones vibrating from it. Note to self: Metal…not such a good thing to mess with.

Instead, I dodge the flyboys clumsy hands and head straight for Mara. Mara is not metal, hopefully hitting her wont jar my bones. Jassan took up where I left off, swinging a crowbar he got from his pack like a madman. He clonks a flyboy upside the head, and then slams it down on his back, hard. The red eyes slowly fade out.

I'm still running at Mara. She's now running at me. Again, my common sense is yelling _go the other direction! What the hell are you doing? Going towards the person who wants to kill you? _I ignore it, let my heels fall back. I slide on the ground at just the right angle. Before Mara can realize what I've done, I've knocked her down. I quickly jumped to my feet, remembering one of those old wrestling poses they used to do, with the whole elbow thing. With out giving it a second thought, I pounce on her, my elbow sticking out in front of me. It made contact with Mara's stomach, and she lets out a breath.

"There's to many!" Abigail shouted to me. For a split second, I turn to look at her. She has a deep gash on her forehead. It's dripping in her eyes and mouth. She lifted a hand to touch it, and recoiled when she touched her skull.

Looking at her was a mistake. Mara jumped up, escaping from my stupidly not tight grip, and slashes her claws across my face, sending me reeling backwards. She gives a whole new meaning to the word catfight. Instantly, I can feel my cheek swell, red welts, I'm sure, are appearing on my face. Soon they will start to bleed. Luckily, She only cuffed me. Luckily, I was semi-consciencely prepared.

Still, the blow sent me to the ground, flat on my butt. My tailbone starts to throb, which is certainly an uncomfortable place to be throbbing. In my position, I catch a glimpse of Caleb and Dulce.

Omega had Dulce by the arms, his hand completely swallowing her thin forearm. Caleb has literally thrown himself on Omega's back, pounding on his head with both fists, screaming swear words I _know _I didn't teach him. Then I realize I've lost sight of Duke.

I scramble to my feet, completely ignoring tranqs flying around me. My gaze scratched the Earth, but Duke isn't here. I can't find him. But I can hear him, and the vile names he's screaming at flyboys!

I spread my wings, and prepare to lift up, but then stop. Ouch! I glance down at my arm, and the small little needle thing sticking out of it. I didn't even get a chance to think. I feel myself falling, my wings brushing the dirty ground. The colors of the now light forest are blurring together, like someone has poured water all over a freshly done canvas painting. Faces melt together, and my last thought was this: Nadine Scott- terminated experiment.

-Okay, I hope that was okay. I know I haven't really showed much of her flock's personality. But I will, PROMISE! Review? Please? Suggestions and criticism is loved!


	3. Chapter 3

Massey tapped his ballpoint pen in the mahogany desk. The bright light positioned over his head was sending a beam of light on the Florence post-it notes places neatly around his desk. His secretary had arranged them by colors. Less important ones on yellow, emergencies in orange. They fluttered everywhere when a gust of wind blew in, and he'd peel things of his shoes that said: Need to get paperwork done!

He peeked down at them, noticing an orange one that said: Your mother called eight times! He picked it off and crumpled it, shooting it at the trash basket. He missed, and it bounced of the rim.

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and cleared his throat, making a noise to clear the silence draping around him. The rest of the offices were dark. His colleagues had pulled out long ago and were no doubt in their beds with their wives. He could hear the computers quietly humming, and the little scrapes that the experiment made in their cages. It was dark outside his office, but he knew they were there, he could feel them staring at him. That was the bad part. They could see him. Yet he couldn't see the experiments.

"Experiment 2237459," He spoke out loud, pushing away the silence again. "Had been showing increase brain power, muscle mass, and…" He dropped the pad. "Was terminated on January 7th for negative behavior." He slowly pushed the experiment's file towards the trash. This was truly hopeless. He had been checking files for hours. His job was to find useful experiments for more advanced development. The director needed new spies. Experiments that will obey no matter what.

"Experiment 2237460," He grabbed the next file in a stack that was too large it nearly toppled over. He scanned it, his small eyes jumping over meaningless descriptions. "Experiment showing improvement. Mental compacity nearly advancing three percent in two days…" This sounded more promising, until he reached the last sentence. "Was found missing from cage on January 18, whereabouts unknown." Another problem. Break-ins made by some band of mutants that escaped long ago.

Massey massaged his temples in disgust. This was pointless. Every experiment was not advanced enough, dead, or missing. He would need to find a limb he could grasp before he could do any actual climbing.

A slight scuffle in the hallway dragged his attention away from his self-pity. He squinted his eyes and tried to focus. The darkness was swallowing the light. There was absolutely nothing that he could see. After a slight pause, he flicked back to his work, pulling the next file from the mound.

Another noise, the recognizable noise of a lock hitting the ground. Massey stood quickly, the legs of his chair scraping against the linoleum floor.

"Hello?" He called tentatively. He knew he was being ridiculous. This was a secure sector. No one could get in…or out, without a card. Massey reached for his lab coat that was hanging on a hook on the wall. He shrugged it over his long sleeved shirt.

He stepped out to his door and his hand groped the wall for the light switch. He found it and flicked it on, half-expecting something to lunge out at him.

Nothing happened. Everything was normal. The computers lined the walls, their black screens staring out. The windows were locked and the doors were closed. Nothing was different at all.

Massey took a moment to straighten out his tie. He walked casually over to the window, displaying the rows of cages holding their experiments. He gently swiped back the orange curtain, and his clipboard fell with a crash to the floor.

They were gone. They were all gone. Cage doors completely removed. Locks not only off, but shattered in bits on the floor. Tops bent open, like some monster had eaten it off. Every single one was gone. The door to the room was slightly ajar.

Staggering slightly, Massey swung around, flipping open the little box on the side and tapping in a code. Immediately an alarm went off. Red lights illuminated the dark space in turns, then it was dark for a moment before turning red again.

Massey gasped again, and nearly fell over. His knees knocked together. He saw someone in the red light. Not someone, but something. An experiment. An experiment recognizable by anyone in the world now. An experiment that stirred fear in the heart of the most evil scientists.

"I'll admit, this is not what I was expecting," Maximum Ride said. "But in view of the circumstances, I guess I should let it slide." She cocked her gun, the sound sending shiver rolling up Massey's spine.

"I should," she added. "But I won't."

A/N: okay, this was just a little like…excerpt….so yeah. Max is back! YAY! Suggestions, and criticism is loved. Goody.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: okay, so here you go. This one is in Nadine POV. Remember, I do not own anything you recognize…. But I do own everything you don't. So thanks! And review! Oh…and like….slight use of language.

NADINE POV

This is a very peculiar thing. I distinctly remember last being in a forest of some sort. Distinctly. Maybe I'm getting old.

"What's the plan Dan?" Jassan asked me. His voice was toneless though. I got this feeling that he wasn't even here. Like, instead he was at Disney Land riding the small world ride.

But that's impossible. There is no Disney Land anymore. In fact, the happiest place on earth was where Itex had started. Isn't that just pointlessly mean? What do they have against Mickey Mouse?

"I have a plan," I said. I don't have a plan. I never have any plans. I just wing it. But one lesson that I've learned from Maximum: There's always a plan.

"Good." He said, staring at the ceiling. "Because I am at a complete creativity stunt." He looked tired, his face more drawn and shadowed. I'm not used to this. I'm used to lightening Duke's load, used to making the kids feel better, but this is new. Jassan is my constant. Jassan comes in with a smile.

"There's no way out of here," Duke concluded. He had been standing up, literally nose to the wall looking for a way out. But as far as I could tell, this room didn't even have a door. I had no idea how they got us in here.

"Nope, no way out, no way in. We are going to die in here," Jassan said easily, like he was telling us what was for dinner. Well, maybe not. He gets more excited over dinner.

"Don't say that!" Abigail shouted, standing up. She crossed her arms over her skinny chest and planted her feet in the ground. "Don't say that! We are _not_ going to die!" Abigail is usually quiet. She does this mantra thingy, she's a vegetarian (when she has the choice to be), she still believes in God. Abigail is very nature centered, and I think that's great.

"It's not going to help to yell at me," Jassan growls; suddenly mad looking, like the actual lives at stake here have finally penetrated his thick skull. "Why don't you do your damn chanting. Maybe your God can get us out if you pray hard enough!"

I shoot him a hard look. He's kicked a spot way below the belt. Abigail's face scrunches up, like she just swallowed a worm. She clenches her jaw, but it doesn't help the tears.

"It's okay," I offer, wrapping my arms around her. She collapses, and sobs, her crying loud enough to echo through the loud room, making me feel more closed in and alone than ever, even though there are five other people stuck in this box room with me.

I hold her in my arms, biting back my own tears, and my urge to scream at Jassan for worsening the situation, and the fact that I am now hungry, again. Which, in my standards, is most definitely something to cry about.

Near the back of the room, Dulce and Caleb were still asleep. They both looked scared though, even in their sleep. The fact that Caleb slept with his eyes open didn't help. I had to fight the urge to go over there a shake him awake to make sure he was still alive.

"Where the hell is the door?" Duke wonders aloud, staring at the wall in front of us. It was a sickly white color, so bright I thought my eyes would burn. "How did they get us in here without a door?"

"By osmosis!" Jassan said, raising his arms and wiggling his fingers, trying to create an eerie effect. I rubbed Abigail's back. She sniffled, and let out a prize worthy sigh.

"Jassan didn't mean it," I whispered to her. She turned her stunning green eyes on me, made brighter by the tears.

"He's right," She said quietly, shifting to the floor. I sat down next to her, assuming my I'm listening pose. "We are going to die."

This is also a new one. Abigail is always the high-spirited one. Even when Itex finally succeeded, she always would tell us that Maximum Ride would return to save as all. That hope was a dry as my canteen. But still, she never gave up, even when the rest of us had given up a long time ago.

"No we aren't," I lie. Great, two lies in one day, and nothing but an impending dose of karma to thank me for it. Abigail peeks at me again, and I can see myself clearly in here eyes. I can see how unbelievable I look.

Just at that moment, the wall _disappears. _Like, as in, not there anymore. Jassan, who was leaning against that wall, falls flat one his back, hitting his head hard on the linoleum floor. He shouts in surprise, thus waking up Dulce and Caleb.

In place of the wall is one of the people who I enjoy hating. The director. Or, as we like to call her, Supreme Dorkwad. Seriously, who spends their life trying to take over the world? I mean, besides all the presidents and kings and queens.

"Stand." She orders. I raise one eyebrow at her-a trick I'd learned from Jassan-and crossed my arms, edging myself in front of the kids, who had all gathered by my side.

"I'd prefer to sit," I challenged. I know I'm being completely retarded. There is no way I can get away with disobeying the ruler of the world. But, to my surprise, a smile spread over her sickeningly calm face.

"You may sit if you like," she says, smiling. She takes a step in the room, her loyal followers scooting behind her, and then the wall juts up from the floor again, nearly decapitating Duke, who was trying to discreetly sneak out. He snapped back, his eyes widening as the wall scraped his cheek.

A gather Abigail to my side, and pull Dulce into my lap. I snap my other hand out to grab Caleb's shirt collar. I pulled him across the floor to my side. Duke rears away from the wall and gets a little in front of me. Jassan, who is being an ass at the moment, tries to appear completely unruffled.

"Hello Nadine," Mara hisses. The sight of her, in clean close, probably happily fed, makes me want to rip off her manicured nails and cram them down her throat. In fact, if it wasn't so un-lady like, i would do just that.

"Hi Spotty." I replied. She rolls her eyes, and I want to smack her.

"Nadine Scott?" The director questions. I raise and eyebrow again.

"Yes?" I admit, she's got me confused. If she wanted us dead-which she most likely does-she'd have killed us by now.

"I have a job for you," She says. I feel Dulce squeeze my hand. I tighten my grip and close my eyes. This is the type of thing a hate. It's ethier die now, or work for the people that enslaved the world. I think I'd rather die, but I can't speak for everyone here, even if I am a leader.

"What kind of job," I venture. Duke sent me a questioning glance. I raise my shoulder a bit and let it drop. The shrug. I peek back at Jassan. He looks about as confused as I feel, which is very, very confused, if you were wondering.

"A kind of job that will save you and your…friends," she says, not giving me anymore information. I run a hand through my hair, and yank Caleb further away from where Omega and Mara were standing. He's still half-asleep, I don' think he even knows whats going on.

"That doesn't answer my question," I growl out. My jaw is aching from the sever clench of my teeth. My head is starting pound. It feels like an archeologist is stuck inside, chipping away at the bone.

"You either die now," The director says, still completely calm and still. "Or you can join us. It's your choice."

I think the director detected my cringe. She grinned, knowing she had won. I really don't have a choice. I mean, I would never want to help the director, but….I can't let these kids down. I can't let my family down.

"Okay," I say finally. Duke turns around completely, a look of shock on his face. I heard Jassan let out a confused "Wha?". Abigail and Dulce both turned to me as well. Abigail got a determined look on her face. It was an "I knew it" face. She grinned at me, supporting my decision.

"What?" Caleb asked, somewhat awake now. He blinked a few times. "What happened?" The director silenced him with a glare, and he bit his lip and turned to me, picking up on the general theme: everyone stare dully at Nadine.

"What do you want us to do?" I ask again, swallowing down the lump in my throat. I squeeze Dulce to my chest, her arms wrapping around my neck. I stare at the director through her hair.

"I want you," She says, pausing for dramatic effect, leaving me practically breaking my jaw. "To kill Maximum Ride."

A/N: Okay. YAY! I got it, finally. I was beginning to think this chapter would never get finished…but it did! So….here ya go! Hope you like it! Reviews and criticism and suggestions….all loved.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: okay, here ya go. I know it's kind of odd, and out of place, but i felt like doing it, so here. Uh...I know i didn't get the princess and the pea story exactly right, but still. okay...on with it!

Disclaimer: i do not own anything you recognize. obviously. but i do own my characters! yay!

Well, there is no way I'm getting any sleep now. I've tried everything in the box. Counting sheep didn't help, nor did counting the little tiny dots on the ceiling. I even resorted to the case notes on Maximum Ride and her flock, hoping that they would do the trick. But then I ended up getting interested in them. So that didn't work. did you know the Gasman's actual name is the Gasman? I thought it was just a nickname!

It's about 2:30 in the morning when I decide to give up on sleep. I mean, if you had just agreed to _murder_ your hero, would you be concerned with a healthy amount of sleep? Well, I wouldn't be, and I'm not.

After I had agreed to this heinous act, the Director gave us some sort of living quarters, complete with the six rooms we needed, one bathroom, and one kitchen. It's my dream come true, right? Except for the fact that I feel like a complete traitor. Not only do I feel like a traitor, I am a traitor. I'm like the freaking Benedict Arnold of the mutants.

I'm paging through the back order of a magazine I found in _my_ room for about the millionth time when I decide to get up to check on the flock. I thankfully close the book on page 51, a little blurb reminding me about how unsuccessful my love life has been. Not that I can be concerned with my love life when I am still fighting for the life I have now. My love life doesn't have a paradise. On second thought, my love life doesn't even have a life.

I shoulder open my door and step with bare feet into the plushy carpet. Careful to avoid the fancy night table thing on the side of the hall, I push open the first door I come to, trying to make it so the hinges don't squeak.

It's Dulce's room. She's fast asleep, snuggled under her covers. Her cheeks are puffed up, and her lips are pursed. I sit on the edge of her bed and tuck the covers more firmly underneath her, noticing the goose bumps on her arms. She shifts slightly, and turns on her side towards me, and slowly opens her eyes.

"Go back to sleep," I whisper in a voice I save for the kids. Instead of listening to me, like a good little girl would, she sits up in her bed, and rubs sleep out of her eyes. Wordlessly, I hold my arms out to her, and she crawls into them. She seemed to fit perfectly in them, like my arms were specifically made for holding her.

"You have to go to sleep sweetie," I murmur into her hair again, regretting waking her up. I can't say it wasn't what I wanted though. I needed to see her okay. I'm paranoid like that. Dulce yawns and turns to look at me, her big brown eyes looking watery with sleep.

"Will you tell me a story?" She asks. I sigh and look away. I should just put her back to bed and go check on the others, but she just looks so cute, I can't say anything but yes. I snuggle her back in the covers and kneel down on the floor, so that I'm level with her face.

"What story do you want to hear?" I ask her as she drags her old dirty stuffed unicorn to her chest. We had found that thing in an old, broken down and abandoned house we had raided for food. That along with a baseball cap that Jassan refuses to part with and a brush that has become my best friend. She looks to the side, as though deep in thought.

"The one about the princess and the pea!" she says excitedly, and I smile. That one has always been her favorite and Abby's before that.

"Okay!" I say, rubbing my hands together, like I was gearing up for a game instead of story time. "Once a pon a time there was a prince." I begin. "He was very rich, and handsome, and he was kind, Every single girl in the kingdom wanted to marry him."

"But his parents were mean!" Dulce says excitedly, popping her head off the pillow in her enthusiasm. I nod, and feel my first real smile in days coming across my face.

"Yes, his parents were very strict. They wanted only the truest, most amazing princess in the world to marry him." Dulce lay back down, squeezing the unicorn to her chest. I'm actually pretty sure her toy is a dog's chew thing, but its okay, because I washed it before I gave it to her. Twice.

Then I noticed the shadow at the doorway. I turned, half expecting the director, or a flyboy, or some other harbinger of doom. But it was only Caleb, barely taller than the doorknob.

"Did we wake you up?" I ask, noticing how his eyelids are still half-closed. Caleb is a lot like a sloth. Easy to make him go to bed, but harder than life to get him up. He shook his head and elbowed the rest of the door open.

"No, I just heard you guys," He says, plopping down on the edge of the bed. I guess in my excitement, I had lost my whisper and gone to a normal speaking voice. Dulce scoots over to make room for him on the bed, and he wedges in the spot. They both manage to fit comfortable in the bed. That could be because Dulce is five, and Caleb is the height of a four year old.

"You want to listen to the story then?" I offer. I already know the answer though. He shakes his head and turns on his side, drawing his knees up to his chest.

"What happened next?" Dulce prompts. I grin and pull he cover back up over both of them.

"Well, one day a princess from…" I let my voice trail off. It's always been something I did, let the kids fill in the blanks. Dulce thought for a moment and then spread her arms wide, whacking Caleb with the unicorn.

"She came from Candy Land!" Dulce says happily. Candy land is not what I would have chosen, but hey, five year olds are five year olds. You know, one time Dulce was just sitting there, looking so happy, that I just had to ask her what she was thinking about. You know what she said? Candy. Candy! When we the last time you could sit around and think about candy?

"Okay. This princess came from Candy Land. She was the most beautiful and gorgeous princess in the world, and the whole kingdom loved her and was entranced by her beauty. But when she came to see Prince…" I peek out at Caleb. He's staring at the wall, eyes wide open. I know he's listening.

"Prince Duke!" Dulce shouts, tossing her arms wide again. Caleb nearly snatched the unicorn away. Duke, a prince? Ha!

"Okay. Prince Duke didn't like her very much. But his parents were even more skeptical. On the first night the princess slept over, they piled ten mattresses on the bed. Under the first mattress, they put a tiny pea. 'A true princess,' the kind always said, 'should be able to feel this pea, and not sleep well because of it.'"

"But the princess slept soundly that night. The king and queen tried for days! They even put a bowling ball under her mattress! But the princess slept soundly each night. Soon enough they had to give up. They sent the princess away, and the prince remained un-married."

"But not for long," Abigail sat on the end of the bed, lying across the end. She pushed a white pillow against her cheek. "Right, Nadine?" I hadn't even noticed her come in!

"Uh, right." I say. "But it went on like that for days. Every princess that tried to marry the loved Prince Duke was shot down. None of them could feel the pea under all the mattresses. But one day, during a powerful and frightening rainstorm, there was a knock at the palace doors. The prince wondered who would be out in such a downpour?"

"Another princess!" Dulce shouts loudly. I smother my laughter and nod.

"Another princess was at the door, and when the prince answered it, he fell in love. The princess was beautiful and had the voice of honey dripping over truffles. The prince invited her in and he fell even more in love with her wit and charm. The prince's parents also liked this strange out-of-nowhere princess. But first, she had to pass the test. The princess's name was…"

"Her name was Princess Nadine," I heard a snicker from the doorway, and spun around. Jassan had his baseball cap on and he leaned against the doorway with a happy smile on his face.

"Her name was _not_ princess Nadine," I say. He knows these stories as well as I do. I am so _not_ into marrying Duke. He came to sit next to me on the floor, and he swivels the baseball cap around in his head, so that the visor is sticking out in the back.

"I think her name _is _Princess Nadine," Abigail agreed. Caleb has turned away from the wall and a somewhat disgusted grimace has been placed on his face. He knows this story too. He still thinks girls have cooties. The only one who doesn't seem to know where this is headed is Dulce, who is smiling like no tomorrow.

"Okay…Princess Nadine went to sleep on the mattresses that night. But she tossed and turned, and simply could not get to sleep. In the morning when the parent's asked her how she slept, she reported that she had not slept very well, and it felt as if there were an elephant underneath her. The prince smiled and in the next hour, they had arranged a wedding.

"Oh goody!" Jassan clapped his hands together and he grinned like a crazy ax murderer. "Can I be the best man?"

"Ask Duke! He gets to decided that, but I get to be a bride's maid, right?" Abigail is smiling too now, and I feel like smacking them both. But I don't, because I'm just cool like that.

"Anyway…" I prompt, and the shush. The tension between them has seemed to be lifted, but I can't help but being completely confused by them. Don't they realized we have to kill Maximum Ride? Not to mention the heck of the fight we are going to have trying to do it.

"Anyway, the got married and then they lived-"

"Happily ever after," Duke finishes. He kneels next to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. "But I get to choose the kids names. I don't like your naming abilities."

"Uh-huh," I said warily. I wonder if he knows I like him, if he just drops these little bombs to make me crazy. I know, I know. Max and Fang fell in love too! Your copies of them! Your supposed to fall in love anyways! Well, no. I am my own person. I'm not nearly as amazing as Max is, and Duke is…well, he's Duke. Not Fang.

"Okay…" I say, after the moment of awkward silence has passed. I usher Caleb and Abigail off the bed, and tuck Dulce back in. She had fallen asleep during my grand finale. Jassan gets up and bids us all good night with a wave of his head. He makes his grand exit and I hear his door slam down the hall.

I close Dulce's door as quietly as I can, and tuck Caleb back in, who fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Abigail gives me a bear sized hug and snuggles under her covers. I leave her door half open.

"Night," Duke says. "see you in the morning." I can't help it, he looks really good. A cuddly cotton sweatshirt that I could just wrap myself up in, a bed head, and a little bed ruffle indentation on his cheek.

"Good night," I whisper, and make my way back to my own room. I push all the papers off my bed, finally feeling like I can sleep. I flick off the lights and snuggle in the covers, feeling a little better, when I hear the front door to our dorm thingies open.

a/n: READ and REVIEW! thank you!


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